Field of Invention
This invention pertains generally to rod ends and other articulating mechanical joints and, more particularly, to a lock mechanism for preventing unwanted rotation of jam nuts used on rod ends and other articulating mechanical joints.
Related Art
Rod ends or Heim joints are often used on the ends of control rods, steering links, tie rods, and in other applications where precision articulating joints are required. They are used in the suspension systems of race cars and off-road vehicles because of their flexibility, ruggedness, and ability to locate wheels very precisely. These rod ends typically have a ball swivel rotatively mounted in a housing for attachment to other components and a threaded shank which extends from the housing and is attached to a connecting rod or link.
The threaded connections between the connecting rods and shanks are commonly provided with jam nuts which are intended to lock the rods and shanks together and prevent unwanted rotation between them. However, when the rod ends or heim joints are subjected to vibrations such as those occurring in race cars and off-road vehicles, the jam nuts can work loose, allowing unwanted rotation between the rods and shanks which throws off the alignment between the parts to which the joints are connected.